THIS week we check in with one of our pawesome Africa keepers, Connor, for an update on what’s been going on in Giraffe, Zebra, Wildebeest, Nyala and Rhino-land.

It’s been a bit of a group effort this week to prepare the field Giraffe, with maintenance and our trainee keeper team helping the Africa keepers to restructure the terrain which mainly involves removing and repositioning rocks and boulders to make the surface as smooth as possible for our leggy friends.

We’ve also done some work on the hoofstock shelter – dropping the floor to increase the height, adding a new substrate and new fencing, giving the grasses a trim and generally sprucing it up to make access easier and the shelter more spacious overall.

Kordofan Giraffe Eloise has also had some attention, particularly to her feet.

Followers will know that Eloise receives regular pedicures where the keepers file her hooves back for her to make walking a little comfier.

To help keep her hooves in tip top condition, we called in a little help from our pawesome veterinary consultant team IZVG and also from Farm Gate vets who have helped with procedure in the past.

Anaesthetising a Giraffe is an extremely risky procedure. Anaesthetics make the patients weak, wobbly and unco-ordinated - as they drift off to sleep a patients lose control of how (or the speed) at which they lay down, potentially falling awkwardly – and for a giraffe that’s a long way.

As they begin to come round following the procedure they remain disoriented and weak, not understanding the weakness will pass they can panic and struggle to get to their feet, still under the influence of the anaesthetic they become tired very quickly, exhausted and stressed with potential for damage to themselves.

We are pleased the procedure went like clockwork, Eloise was an absolute star – as were the teams here, and IZVG and Farmgate Vets.